News Focus
- Pulisic has trained separately from the main squad for seven days with a calf injury
- Coach Pochettino will decide after talks with medical staff on Thursday evening
- The United States play Australia in a vital World Cup group stage fixture on Friday
- Team-mates remain hopeful but admit the final decision rests with the medical team
United States head coach Mauricio Pochettino has refused to confirm if Christian Pulisic will feature against Australia in their World Cup group stage match on Friday. The midfielder has been working alone all week as he tries to recover from a calf problem.
Speaking at his pre-match press conference on Thursday, Pochettino explained that Pulisic was getting better but still faced a late fitness test. “He has been training individually this whole week,” the Argentine said. “We will meet with our medical team tonight to assess the entire squad. He is improving and feels much better than last Friday, but we must wait and see.”
Pulisic first hurt his calf during training last week. He then played in the opening match against Paraguay but had to come off at half-time after the pain got worse. Since then, he has followed a special training programme away from the main group.
Journalists have not seen the AC Milan star with his team-mates at the training ground in California this week. On Monday and Tuesday he worked in the gym, while on Wednesday he did some light ball work with physios. After the squad travelled to Seattle, Pulisic again trained alone at the University of Washington on Thursday. Media saw him briefly wearing a support bandage on his left calf before he went inside the training complex.
Other players in the squad have shared mixed messages about Pulisic’s chances. Midfielder Weston McKennie said on Thursday that Pulisic wants to play and is doing everything possible. Brenden Aaronson also expressed hope that the playmaker would return. However, earlier in the week Tyler Adams sounded more confident, saying fans should relax because Pulisic would be ready.
If Pulisic cannot play, Pochettino has several options. He could use Gio Reyna or Brenden Aaronson in attack, or change his tactics completely. Pulisic was outstanding against Paraguay and is the team’s most important creative player, so his absence would be a major blow.
“These situations are always difficult,” Pochettino admitted. “But Christian has a strong mentality and is working very hard to be fit. He is making a massive effort to recover in time.”